Poll

Opinion

Although you might think “reading, ’riting and ’rithemtic” when you consider the 3 Rs in an educational context, instead think of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Our teachers have incorporated the 3 Rs in their curriculums. Our custodians have embraced recycling whenever possible. And our administration has endorsed it all.

As much as I dislike pointing out the obvious, there is such an inappropriate comparison given by Bruce Wilson in his column about recycling(I think that is what it was about) that I had to comment. Trees and hayfields? Apples and oranges.

Hard to believe it, but another month has gone by since the last update column.

Energy awareness. As you know, one of the goals of the Energy Advisory Panel is energy awareness. I think that this has started to happen throughout the Cedar Key community. I hear people talking about recycling and composting and how they have reduced the amount of trash that gets put in the WastePro truck twice a week.

With about 40 years of gardening experience I should have most things figured out in the gardens. I even have some working knowledge of ornamentals though they don’t taste good and many are poisonous. I now grow mostly vegetables here in Cedar Key and after all this time still have areas of confusion.

J.K. of Cedar Key asks, “I don’t have a will, but my children keep telling me I need to get one. I don’t have all that much, just some land, a mobile home, my truck, some guns and a few other things. Do I need a will? And what’s the difference between a will and a living will?”

Perhaps some of my readers are wondering what is planted in the warm season gardens here. Upon entering through the gates you will notice these gardens have “Karma,” a red bell pepper. This in itself, should make a person “Jolly,” a yellow bell pepper. After a short stroll you might look at the soil and spot a “Little Gem,” a dark green romaine lettuce.

There is no doubt that spring has sprung in Cedar Key. It would surely seem that those cold fronts from the north no longer require winter clothing to stay warm. Spring is springing up here in the gardens as well, with sun flowers, zinnias and cucumbers breaking through the soil. As of this writing, 1,000 feet of row has been planted by hand with five days gone to show for it. With around 750 transplants planted and numerous seeds carefully placed in the rows, I need a few days off to recover.

In Cedar Key plastics (1-7) can be recycled. They do not have to be separated by number or separated from glass, paper or metal recyclables when they are placed in the recycling trailer. The numeric codes 1-7 are generally found on the bottom of the containers and surrounded by the recycling triangle of arrows. If your eyes have trouble finding these numbers, it is generally safe to assume it is recyclable in Cedar Key if is a rigid plastic.

In Cedar Key plastics (1-7) can be recycled. They do not have to be separated by number or separated from glass, paper or metal recyclables when they are placed in the recycling trailer. The numeric codes 1-7 are generally found on the bottom of the containers and surrounded by the recycling triangle of arrows. If your eyes have trouble finding these numbers, it is generally safe to assume it is recyclable in Cedar Key if is a rigid plastic.

On a glorious sunny Florida day this past weekend, as a gentle breeze swayed the pines and a swallow-tailed kite glided overhead, I watched my seven-year-old son and his close friend ignore me at every opportunity. We were visiting a Nature Conservancy preserve and I was telling them, in my best child-friendly professorial voice, all about the importance to the ecosystem of gopher tortoise burrows and how prescribed fire had prepared the land for the reintroduction of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

R.P. of Old Town asks, “My wife of 14 years has run off with another man, leaving me with all of the bills and all of the kids. She took everything with her, except for a retirement account she had from where she last worked. How can I prevent her from closing that account and taking all the money out? I’m entitled to half of that, aren’t I? She is no longer a resident of the state of Florida and now lives in another state.”

Many of us here in Cedar Key do not have garden space as such and naturally turn to container gardening. The most talked about vegetable grown in containers here in the gardens is the tomato. Most of us go to a transplant supply outlet and purchase what is available, place them in a container and care for them, not knowing exactly what to expect except fresh red tomatoes.

Most of us know that the recycling symbol made up of three arrows in the shape of a triangle stands for REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE, but have you ever thought of how important that first direction is? Here are some facts and tips about how to make reducing your fist step in your recycling commitment.

S.P. of Archer asks, “I recently lost my job but when I applied for unemployment I was told that I wasn’t eligible because my employer said I was let go due to misconduct, which wasn’t true. What can I do about that?”